Hiker from California plunges 300 feet to his death on rocky shoreline, Oregon cops say

A California man plunged 300 feet to his death onto a rocky shoreline while hiking with friends in Oregon, deputies said.

Nam Ing, a 56-year-old from Penngrove, California, was hiking about 20 miles south of Gold Beach on the Natural Bridges Viewpoint on Sunday, May 29, the Curry County Sheriff’s Office said.

“He slipped from the trail and fell approximately 300 feet to the rocks on the shoreline below,” deputies said in a May 31 news release.

Rescuers rushed to help. The sheriff’s search and rescue team set up a rope system to rappel to Ing.

Officials said Ing was dead at the scene. The rescuers and Ing’s body were hoisted to the top of the cliff, deputies said.

The Natural Bridges Viewpoint trail is an out-and-back trail that takes about 15 minutes to hike, according to AllTrails. It’s generally considered an easy route, but deputies said it can be dangerous.

“This is such a tragedy and from all of us here at the Curry County Sheriff’s Office, we send our condolences to the Ing family,” deputies said. “We also want to remind everyone that even though the area of Natural Bridges is so beautiful to visit, it is also very dangerous.”

This story was originally published June 1, 2022 at 9:35 AM with the headline "Hiker from California plunges 300 feet to his death on rocky shoreline, Oregon cops say."